February 6, 1865. |
February 7. |
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off to the right, toward Armstrong's Mill, and very soon found the Confederates in a strong position.
Their pickets were driven in after a sharp fight, when Smyth formed a line that connected the left of his division with the right of the Third, commanded by General Mott.
Temporary earth-works were thrown up, and these, at two o'clock in the afternoon, were assailed.
Under fire of artillery the Confederates pressed through the tangled swamp, and furiously assaulted the rifle-pits covering Smyth's right.
They were repulsed with considerable loss.
Twice afterward they attempted to turn his flanks and were repulsed, and at twilight they gave up the attempt.
Smyth lost about three hundred men, and his antagonist a few more.
during that night the Fifth Corps was brought into connection with the Second, on the left of the latter.
Gregg's cavalry had been recalled, and now covered the Fifth; and the Sixth and Ninth Corps were disposed so as to assist the Second and Fifth, if necessary.
Toward noon
Crawford was sent toward Dabney's Mills, in order to reach the Boydton plank road, when he met a division of Confederates under General Pegram.
After a sharp fight, about two miles from the Vaughan road, the latter were pushed back, but the advance of Crawford was checked by the division of Evans, who came to Pegram's assistance.
Ayres was now sent to Crawford's assistance; and a brigade of Griffin's division was ordered to the support of Gregg, on the left, who had been heavily assailed by Confederate cavalry, which had been sent around to strike his flanks and rear.
Gregg was, finally, toward evening, pressed back to Hatcher's Run.
Ayres was struck on the flank soon after Gregg was assailed, and also driven back; and then a severe blow fell upon Crawford, which also made him recoil, with heavy loss.
Eagerly following up these successes, the Confederates attacked Humphrey's Corps, but were repulsed in much disorder.
Behind the intrenchments on the Vaughan road and Hatcher's Run, thrown up the previous day, the Nationals were rallied, and stood firm.
In the course of the conflict, General Pegram had been killed, and about one thousand of the Confederates were slain or wounded.
The National loss was nearly two thousand men. Their gain was the permanent extension of their line to Hatcher's Run.
There was some skirmishing the next day,
but no serious attempt was afterward made to recover the lost ground.
The City Point railroad, which had been extended as fast as the left seized New ground, was now built to Hatcher's Run.
All was quiet now, for some time, excepting along the Petersburg lines, where there were occasional artillery duels.
Grant considered it of the utmost importance, before a General movement of the armies operating against Richmond, that all communications with that City, north of the James River, should be cut off. At the Middle of February circumstances favored an effort to that end. Lee had drawn the greater portion of the forces from the Shenandoah Valley1 for service
1 the few Confederates in Northern Virginia, under Rosser, Moseby, and others, had been quite active during the winter. The former, with a mounted force, went over the mountains into Western Virginia, and at Beverly surprised a guard of horses and stores, 700 strong, and captured 400 of the men and all the property, on the 11th of January. On the 21st of February a squad of Confederate cavalry, under Lieutenant McNeil, dashed into Cumberland. Between midnight and dawn, and with the assistance of disloyal residents, seized Generals Kelley and Crook, in their beds, placed them on horses, and carried them off to Richmond.
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